Information recording/reproducing device

ABSTRACT

An information recording and reproduction apparatus has an eject slider  9  which is moved by the operation from the outside. An eject plate  2  as a mechanical driving means for constituting a loading mechanism is engaged with an eject lock lever  12 , through which a driving force to the eject slider  9  is transmitted to the eject plate  2.    
     During when information is being recorded into a recording medium  4 , by that an eject latch magnet  15  is energized, an absorption plate  14  of the eject lock lever  12  is absorbed and the eject lock lever  12  is inclined, and therefore, a driving force which is applied to the eject slider  9  should not be transmitted to the eject lock lever  12 , thereby resulting in preventing a driving force from being transmitted to the eject plate  2.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an information recording andreproduction apparatus which records an information signal into aninformation recording medium such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk,and a magnet-optical disk, and reproduces the information signalrecorded into the information recording medium of this kind, and moreparticularly, to a mechanism in the apparatus for preventing exhaustionof the information recording medium during when the information signalis being recorded into the information recording medium.

BACKGROUND ART

As a conventional method for exhausting a recording medium which ismounted in the information recording and reproduction apparatus(hereinafter, simply referred to as “recording apparatus”) for recordingan information signal into an information recording medium (hereinafter,simply referred to as “recording medium”) such as a floppy disk or aCD-R, and reproducing the information signal recorded into the recordingmedium, there is a system in which an eject button and a loadingmechanism which is in a relative movement with the eject button forexhausting the recording medium to the outside are provided in therecording apparatus, and the driving apparatus for driving the loadingmechanism is operated by pressing the eject button. This drivingapparatus is divided roughly into mechanical ones and electric ones.

At first, a conventional recording apparatus X will be described brieflywith reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. A magnetic disk recording andreproduction apparatus is described as the conventional recordingapparatus X.

Initially, the loading mechanism for the recording medium will bedescribed.

The loading mechanism is constituted mainly by an eject plate 2 and anelevator 3, which function as operated moving parts.

The eject plate 2 is regulated for its movement in rightward-to-leftwarddirection and upward-to-downward direction in the apparatus by convexparts 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d of a chassis 1 so as only to move inbackward-to-forward direction.

While the elevator 3 holds a recording medium 4, the elevator 3 islocated inside the eject plate 2 and is regulated for its movement inrightward-to-leftward direction. Further, a convex part 3a of theelevator 3 is regulated for its movement in backward-to-forwarddirection by a groove part 1 e of the chassis 1, thereby the elevator 3can only move in upward-to-downward direction.

Next, the internal mechanism in a case where the recording medium 4 hasbeen inserted in the recording apparatus X so as to enable recording andreproduction will be described. In this case, the eject plate 2 ispushed forward in the recording apparatus X by eject springs 5 a and 5 bwhich are mounted on the chassis 1.

The elevator 3 is pushed downward when the eject plate 2 is subjected toa force toward forward because the convex parts 3 a and 3 b of theelevator 3 are inserted into sloped groove parts 2 a and 2 b of theeject plate 2, respectively.

When the recording medium 4 in the elevator 3 is inserted into therecording apparatus X, by that the upward-to-downward direction andrightward-to-leftward direction movements thereof are regulated by theconvex parts 1 a and 1 b of the chassis 1 and the upward-to-downwarddirection movement thereof is regulated by the convex parts 1 c and 1 dof the chassis 1, and further that the elevator 3 is pushed downward,the recording medium 4 is fixed firmly without a jounce in the recordingapparatus X.

A case where the recording medium 4 is exhausted from the recordingapparatus X will be described.

At first, when the mechanical driving means for mechanically driving theloading mechanism is one which utilizes an electrical apparatus, by thatthe eject motor 6 is operated to rotate the convex part 6 a thereof andthe convex part 2 c of the eject plate 2 is pulled against the ejectsprings 5 a and 5 b by the convex part 6 a, the eject plate 2 is movedtoward backward of the recording apparatus X. In this case, the convexpart 2 d of the eject plate 2 in FIG. 3 functions as an emergency manualexhaustion means which operates when the eject motor 6 comes into anon-operative state by any cause.

When the mechanical driving means for mechanically driving the loadingmechanism is one which utilizes the mechanical apparatus, the. ejectplate 2 is moved toward backward of the recording apparatus X by pushingthe convex part 2 d of the eject plate 2. In either case, the elevator 3is moved upward by that the eject plate 2 is moved, thereby resulting inthat the recording medium 4 is released from the regulations by theconvex parts 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d, and being subjected to a forcetoward downward applied by the elevator 3, and therefore the recordingmedium 4 is exhausted to the outside of the recording apparatus X. Inthis case, the convex part 2 c of the eject plate 2 and the eject motor6 shown in FIG. 3 are not required.

The operation of the loading mechanism for exhausting the recordingmedium 4 which is inserted into the recording apparatus X to the outsidewill be described with reference to FIG. 5. At first, because a latch 7is subjected to a force to rotate in a right turn direction applied by alatch spring 8, a top part 7 a of the latch 7 is pushed toward a screwpart 2 e of the eject plate 2. Then, by that the eject plate 2 is movedtoward backward of the recording apparatus X, the screw part 2 e of theeject plate 2 is moved from the top part 7 a of the latch 7 slidingalong a corner part 7 b of the latch 7, and when it reaches the cornerpart 7 b, the latch 7 turns in a right turn direction and is dropped ina concave part 7 c to be stopped. At this point, the convex part 7 d ofthe latch 7 is moved forward by the rotation of the latch 7 in a rightturn direction, and is collided with the recording medium 4 thereby topush the same. Thus, the exhaustion of the recording medium 4 is carriedout.

A brief description will be given of the exhaustion operation forexhausting the recording medium in the recording apparatus to theoutside when the driving apparatus for driving the above-mentionedloading mechanism is an electric one. When the eject button is pressedwhile an information signal is being recorded into an informationrecording medium by the operation of the recording apparatus, therecording apparatus is described to ignore that the eject button ispressed, or to wait until the recording operation should be concludedand to exhaust the recording medium after confirming the conclusion ofthe recording operation. In this way, the information on the recordingmedium is prevented from being destroyed. Further, when the power of therecording apparatus is turned off in a state where the recording mediumis inserted in the recording apparatus, the exhaustion of the recordingmedium is made impossible. In order to prepare for such case inemergency, there is generally provided with an emergency manualexhaustion means for forcibly exhausting the recording medium to theoutside of the recording apparatus employing a manual exhaustion tool.

However, in a case where the driving apparatus for driving the loadingmechanism is a mechanical one, if the eject button is pressed while theinformation signal is being recorded into a recording medium by theoperation of the recording apparatus, the recording medium is forciblyexhausted during the recording, and thus it is liable that theinformation cannot be read out because it is recorded only halfway, orthat the recording medium itself is destroyed because it is exhaustedrotating in the recording apparatus. The same applies to a case wherethe recording medium is exhausted forcibly by employing theabove-mentioned emergency manual exhaustion means.

To avoid such a situation, the conventional recording apparatus isprovided with an eject lock means for locking the mechanical exhaustiondriving means lest it should operate, and a means for preventing theemergency manual exhaustion means from operating during the operation ofthe recording apparatus, in order to prevent a wrong exhaustion of therecording medium while the recording apparatus is operating.

However, in the conventional recording apparatus which is provided withsuch means, when it is not noticed that the recording medium isprevented from being exhausted, it is possible that a strong force isapplied to the emergency manual exhaustion means or to the eject lockmeans from the outside when the recording medium is attempted to beexhausted forcibly.

When it comes into such a situation, it is possible that the means forpreventing the recording medium from being exhausted should be deformedor destroyed, and in the worst case, that the recording apparatus itselfshould be destroyed or that it should not operate properly.Particularly, an apparatus which is thinned and downsized is to beconstituted with weaker mechanical parts, thereby the structural partsinside the apparatus are more likely to be deformed or destroyed thanusual.

The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems andhas for its object to provide an information recording and reproductionapparatus in which, while an information signal is being recorded intothe recording medium, the exhaustion of the recording medium by theoperation from the outside can be prevented without an excessive forcebeing applied to the recording apparatus as well as without occurringdeformation or destruction of the structural parts inside the recordingapparatus even when the recording apparatus is operated from theoutside.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An information recording and reproduction apparatus according to thepresent invention (claim 1) which performs recording of information intoa recording medium or reproduction of the information recorded in therecording medium, where the recording medium can be inserted/ejected,comprises at least; a loading mechanism for exhausting the recordingmedium to the outside of the information recording and reproductionapparatus; a operated moving part which is moved by the operation fromthe outside of the information recording and reproduction apparatus; amechanical driving means for mechanically driving the loading mechanism;and an exhaustion preventing means for preventing the loading mechanismfrom being driven mechanically during when the information recording andreproduction apparatus is recording the information into the recordingmedium, and in the information recording and reproduction apparatus, adriving force of the mechanical driving means is associated with adriving force of the being subjected to operation and moving part, andthe exhaustion preventing means is operated when the association is cutoff.

According to the information recording and reproduction apparatusconstituted as described above, the operated moving part, which is movedby the operation from the outside of the apparatus, is provided and isto move to the same extent as in case of exhausting the recording mediumeven in case of preventing the exhaustion of the recording medium, andmoreover, a driving force is prevented from being transmitted to themechanical driving means so that the loading mechanism is prevented frombeing driven mechanically. Therefore, an operator can confirm that themedium shall not be exhausted even if he operates, thereby preventingthe operator from performing any more operation. Thus, an excessiveforce shall not be applied to the apparatus, thereby the structuralparts inside the apparatus are prevented from being deformed ordestroyed, and further, the exhaustion of the recording medium by theoperation from the outside can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an information recording andreproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic expanded section view of an exhaustion preventingmeans of the recording medium according to the embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional informationrecording and reproduction apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a schematic right sectional view of the conventionalinformation recording and reproduction apparatus.

FIG. 5(a) is a schematic expanded section view of a loading mechanismshowing the state before the recording medium is exhausted. Similarly,FIG. 5(b) is an expanded section view of the loading mechanism showingthe state after the recording medium is exhausted similarly.

BEST MODE TO EXECUTE THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to drawings. However, the embodiment shown here is merelyan example and not necessarily restricted to this one.

Embodiment 1

Hereinafter, an example of a recording apparatus A according to thepresent invention, which has a means for preventing compulsoryexhaustion of the recording medium 4 during the recording operationsecuring a stroke of the external operation without locking anexhaustion mechanism, will be described as a first embodiment withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating the internal structure of therecording apparatus A, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of theexhaustion preventing means B provided in the recording apparatus A.Further, in these figures, the same reference numerals as those in theabove-mentioned recording apparatus X denote the same parts, and theirexplanations will be omitted.

A loading mechanism and a mechanical driving means for mechanicallydriving the loading mechanism which are provided in the recordingapparatus A according to this embodiment are constituted with the sameparts as those in the above-mentioned recording apparatus X and operatesimilarly. Further, the recording apparatus A is provided with theexhaustion preventing means B for preventing the loading mechanism fromoperating improperly, i.e., from being driven mechanically during whenthe recording apparatus A is recording information into the recordingmedium 4. Hereinafter, a description will be given of the exhaustionpreventing means B.

An eject slider 9 is regulated for its movement in upward-to-downwarddirection and rightward-to-leftward direction by an eject base plate 10.Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the eject slider 9 is connected with theeject base plate 10 through the eject slider spring 11, and thussubjected to a force forward. Thereby the eject slider 9 usuallyprojects forward to the position where it is collided with a stopperpart 10 a of the eject base plate 10, being at a front stopper position.

An eject lock lever 12 is regulated for its upward-to-downward movementby a lock lever screw 13, and usually rotates in a right turn directionwith the lock lever screw 13 as a fulcrum and stops at the positionwhere an adsorption yoke 14 mounted on the eject lock lever 12 iscollided with an eject latch magnet 15, which is an electromagnet, sincea convex part 12 a of the eject lock lever 12 is always subjected to aforce in a forward direction applied by a stopper part 9 b of the ejectslider 9.

Further, the eject base plate 10 and the eject lock lever 12 areconnected with a lock lever spring 16 which applies a force as if toopen its arms outwardly. While this lock lever spring 16 applies a forcein a direction to rotate the eject lock lever 12 to the left, the forceis set weaker than that of an eject slider spring 11 in order not torotate the eject lock lever 12 in a left turn direction in a state wherethe eject slider 9 has been moved forward.

Subsequently, a description will be given of a method of exhausting therecording medium 4 from the recording apparatus A which is provided withthe exhaustion preventing means B.

When the recording medium 4 is to be exhausted from the recordingapparatus A mechanically, or when the recording medium 4 is to beexhausted forcibly employing a manual exhaustion tool for emergency orthe like, a knob part 9 a of the eject slider 9 is pushed with a hand ora tool. By pushing the eject slider 9 backward, the stopper part 9 b isalso moved backward. Thereby, the eject lock lever 12 is released fromthe stopper part 9 b of the eject slider 9, and is rotated in a leftturn direction with the lock lever screw 13 as a fulcrum by the locklever spring 16 until it is collided with the eject slider 9.

An engaging part 9 d of the eject slider 9 which is pushed backwardengages with an engaging part 12 b of the eject lock lever 12. Bykeeping pushing the engaging part 9 d even after it engages with theengaging part 12 b, a bending part 12 c of the eject lock lever 12engages with a bending part 2 f of the eject plate 2, whereby the ejectslider 9 and the eject plate 2 are connected each other. By pushing theeject slider 9 backward, the eject plate 2 is also moved backward,thereby exhausting the recording medium 4 mechanically.

A description will be given of the operation of the exhaustionpreventing means B for preventing the loading mechanism from operatingimproperly while the recording apparatus A is recording information intothe recording medium 4, in the recording apparatus A which exhausts therecording medium 4 as described above.

During when information is being recorded into the recording medium 4,the eject latch magnet 15 is energized, and absorbs the adsorption plate14 by a magnetic force. At this time, by that the magnetic adsorptionforce is set stronger than a force of the lock lever spring 16, evenwhen the eject slider 9 is pushed backward, the eject lock lever 12shall not rotate in a left turn direction. Consequently, the engagingpart 9 d of the eject slider 9 does not engages with the engaging part12 b of the eject lock lever 12, and even when the eject slider 9 ispushed backward during the recording, the eject plate 2 is not pushedbackward, with only the top part 9 c of the eject slider 9 sliding tothe position where it is collided with a stopper part 10 b of the ejectbase plate 10 as a rear stopper, thereby preventing the recording medium4 from being exhausted to the outside of the apparatus.

As described above, in the recording apparatus A according to thisembodiment, during when an information is being recorded into therecording medium 4, though a part which is operated from the outside ofthe recording apparatus A operates, a loading mechanism is preventedfrom being driven mechanically by the operation of the exhaustionpreventing means B to prevent a driving force from being transmitted tothe mechanical driving means as described above, thereby preventing therecording medium 4 from being exhausted. Therefore, even when therecording apparatus A is forcibly operated from the outside in order toexhaust the recording medium 4, the exhaustion of the recording medium 4by the operation from the outside of the recording apparatus A can beprevented without occurring deformation or destruction of the structuralparts inside the recording apparatus A.

APPLICABILITY IN INDUSTRY

As described above, the information recording and reproduction apparatusaccording to the present invention is the one which records theinformation signal into the information-recording medium such as amagnetic disk, an optical disk, and a magnet-optical disk as well asreproduces the information signal recorded in such recording medium.This is available as the information recording and reproductionapparatus which can prevent the exhaustion of the recording mediumduring the recording of information signal into the recording mediumeven when the information recording and reproduction apparatus isforcibly operated from the outside in order to exhaust the recordingmedium as well as prevent the structural parts inside the recordingapparatus from being deformed or destroyed.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information recording and reproductionapparatus which performs recording of information into a recordingmedium or reproduction of the information recorded in the recordingmedium, where the recording medium can be inserted/ejected, comprisingat least; loading mechanism for exhausting the recording medium to theoutside of the information recording and reproduction apparatus;operated moving part which is moved by the operation from the outside ofthe information recording and reproduction apparatus; mechanical drivingmeans for mechanically driving the loading mechanism; and exhaustionpreventing means for preventing the loading mechanism from being drivenmechanically during when the information recording and reproductionapparatus is recording the information into the recording medium,wherein a driving force of the mechanical driving means is associatedwith a driving force of the being subjected to operation and movingpart, and the exhaustion preventing means is operated when theassociation is cut off.